Sports Roundup

Romania's Davis Cup team defeated the team of Thailand 3-2 on Saturday in Nonthaburi, in the first round of the World Group I play-off. On Friday, in the first singles match, Nicholas David Ionel was surprisingly defeated by Yuttana Charoenphon, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1. Ionel, the best-ranked Romanian in the ATP singles ranking, i.e. on the 225th place, lost to an opponent who is only on the 976th place in the world ranking. Filip Cristian Jianu defeated Kasidit Samrej, 6-4, 6-7, 6-2. On Saturday, in the doubles match, the pair Marius Copil/Victor Vlad Cornea was defeated by the pair PruchyaIsaro/Thantub Suksumrarn 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Two Romanian victories followed, in the singles. Nicholas David Ionel won against Kasidit Samrej, 6-4, 6-1, then Filip Cristian Jianu defeated Yuttana Charoenphon, 6-0, 6-2. Romania will play in September 2023 in World Group I.

At the WTA 250 tournament in Lyon, with prizes up for grabs worth 225,480 Euros, the Romanian-Swiss pair Monica Niculescu/Viktorija Golubic reached the semifinals. In the semifinals, Monica and Viktorija were defeated by the pair Cristina Bucșa (from Spain)/Bibiane Schoofs (the Netherlands) 6-4, 3-6, 10-8. Niculescu and her partner receive 3,504 Euros and 110 WTA points for the doubles.

On Saturday, in Bucharest, Romania's rugby team defeated the Polish national team 67 to 27, at the start of the 2023 edition of the Rugby Europe Championship competition. Romania managed 11 tries. Mihai Chirică and Taylor Gontineac scored two tries each. Marius Simionescu, Tudor Butnariu, Gheorghe Gajion, Hinckley Vaovasa, Paul Popoaia, Robert Irimescu and Alexander Dinu scored one try each. Popoaia also managed two conversions, and Ionel Melinte, four. The next match of Romania’s rugby team will take place on February 11, away from home, against Belgium.

Next, women's handball. In the EHF European League, Group D, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea ended in a draw, at home, the match with Thüringer, score 32-32. In the group standings, the team from Germany continues to lead, with 7 points, followed by Paris 92, from France, with 4 points, Vâlcea, with 3 points, and the Hungarian team Vác, with 2 points. Also on Saturday, in the Champions League, Group B, Rapid Bucharest lost in Metz, France, score 34 to 36. In the stage preceding the group stage finals, the Romanian champions rank 4thand have secured their place in the playoff for the quarterfinals. On Sunday, CSM Bucharest ended in a draw, score 30 to 30, the match played at home against the French team Brest Bretagne. The Romanian vice-champions remain on top position in Group A and are already directly qualified for the League’s quarterfinals.

We end with football. In the Romanian Super League, the 24th stage, on Friday, Chindia Târgoviște defeated UTA  Arad, in Ploiesti, 2-1, and FC U Craiova defeated, in Craiova, Universitatea Cluj 5 to 0. On Saturday, the match from Sibiu, between Hermannstadt and FC Argeș, ended in a draw, 1-1, then, in Bucharest, Rapid defeated Voluntari 4-1. On Sunday, Mioveni drew the match with Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe 1 all, on home ground. On Sunday evening, in the stage derby, held in Cluj, the defending champions CFR Cluj were defeated by the vice-champions FCSB1-0. Monday will see the last two games: FC Botoșani against Petrolul Ploiesti and Farul Constanța against Universitatea Craiova. In the ranking, CFR is on first place, with 50 points, followed by Farul with 48 points. (LS)